Star Wars Jedi Knight:Mysteries of the Sith
Star Wars Jedi Knight: Mysteries of the Sith is an expansion pack for the first-person shooter Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II. It was developed and published by LucasArts, and released on January 31, 1998. The expansion includes a single-player mode and fifteen multiplayer maps. The multiplayer mode allows up to eight players to play online or over a Local area network. It was re-released onto Steam along with its predecessors and sequels. The single-player story is set five years after the events of Dark Forces II. The player controls Kyle Katarn, protagonist of Star Wars: Dark Forces and Dark Forces II, and later in the game, Mara Jade, one of the most popular Star Wars Expanded Universe characters. There are also technical improvements over Dark Forces II, including colored lighting, new textures and models, and improved artificial intelligence. Mysteries of the Sith received mostly positive reviews from critics, with praise being given to the game's story and improvements to artificial intelligence. Gameplay Single-player Mysteries of the Sith is primarily a first-person shooter, but offers the choice of a third person view. Unlike Dark Forces II, where the player's actions within the game dictate whether the story ends with the light side or the dark side ending, Mysteries of the Sith has a single, morally positive course.The player progresses through the game in a linear fashion; there are fourteen levels and each has set objectives that the player must complete before being able to continue to the next level. Within each level the player can encounter both hostile and non-hostile non-player characters (NPCs).As well as including some enemies that featured in Dark Forces II, Mysteries of the Sith adds twenty new monsters, including a rancor. Some non-hostile NPCs may help the player by attacking enemies. The player has a choice of weapons to use throughout the game. These include projectile weapons such as a blaster or railgun, and the lightsaber. The player also has access to Force powers. Some are capable of causing damage to enemies while others can be used for non-violent activities. Multiplayer Mysteries of the Sith includes fifteen multiplayer maps, four of which only allow players to battle with lightsabers. The player can choose an avatar and the lightsaber color, and compete with up to seven other players over the internet or a local area network. The game includes a ranking system that tracks the player's experience. The multiplayer mode allows the use of pre-set characters featured in both Mysteries of the Sith and Dark Forces II.There is also the choice of characters from the Star Wars films, such as Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader and Boba Fett. Each type of character has advantages and disadvantages. Several locations from the Star Wars films have been recreated as maps for multiplayer gaming. These include Luke's home on Tatooine from A New Hope, the carbon-freezing chamber on Bespin from The Empire Strikes Back and the Emperor's throne room on the Death Star from Return of the Jedi. The capture the flag multiplayer mode has been altered since Dark Forces II. The player must now steal a ysalamir from the other team and return it to their own base. The ysalamir has the added effect of reducing the force powers of the player who is carrying it. Story Mysteries of the Sith is set five years after the events of Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II. The story continues from the "light side" ending of Dark Forces II. Kyle Katarn is now a Jedi Master and has taken on Mara Jade as his apprentice. Like Katarn, Jade is a former member of the Galactic Empire, but joined the New Republic to become a Jedi Knight. The game begins in a New Republic outpost. Kyle Katarn, wearing a black outfit this time, is training Jade when Imperial forces attack the base in an attempt to besiege it. The player takes control of Katarn to defend the base from the stormtroopers and get to the command center. Once there, it is revealed that an evacuation cannot take place because of bombardment by large weapons from two nearby asteroids. Katarn leaves Jade behind as he travels to the asteroids to destroy them. After this section of the game, the player takes control of Jade. Katarn reveals that he has discovered information as to the whereabouts of a Sith temple on Dromund Kaas. He leaves for the temple and in the meantime Jade must take on new assignments for the Republic and continue her studies of the Force. Jade completes her missions for the Republic, but hears that Katarn has broken contact. She heads to Dromund Kaas to try and find out what has happened to him. At the temple she discovers that Katarn has been corrupted by the power of the dark side located within the temple. Failing to convince him to turn back, Jade battles him in a lightsaber duel which finally turns him away from the dark path, as she disengages her lightsaber and he finds he cannot go through with killing her.